Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson seems to be a man with a plan. Whilst he was initially guarded in his thinking and what is on his mind since relegation from the Championship became fairly inevitable, anyone reading his recent interviews must have formed a strong picture, and it is one where he has gradually become more explicit in that respect. First we had his Easter Monday post-match interview in which he outlined his view that the Glovers needed to think 'bigger' - something that was analysed in the last Taff's Gloversblog entry.

The second interview came on Friday during which BBC Somerset presenter Emma Britton did her best to get Gary to say live on air that there were no circumstances in which he would make the decision to walk away from the club this summer. Although he pointed out that he still had a contract at the club, he stopped short of making a definitive statement. In fact, his point that "all managers have to look at their future ... [and] want to be at a football club that is still progressing" gave people a big chance to read between the lines.

The key bit for me though in that second interview was Gary telling the BBC: "I came here because Mr Fry and the board said that there were a lot of things on the go ... I'll ask them where they think the club is going to go and then we'll take it from there." Wind your way back to January 2012 and in the interview he gave upon his return to Huish Park, Gary stated that his reason for returning to the club for a second time was that "John Fry and Mr (Norman) Hayward told me about the ambitions of the club, and the ground development and all that sort of thing, and asked me to come back".

Two years and three months later, and there hasn't been a lot of change in that arena. We are now back in League One (well, in August we will be!) and as yet there have been no developments planned for the stadium itself. So no new revenue streams at present, and none really on the horizon. I know there has been a suggestion that Gary might use the SSDC Food Store decision as a trigger to decide his future at the club, but I get the impression his thoughts lie far wider than that. There are also signs that any decision he makes on his future at Huish Park may be made way in advance of the Wednesday 4th June date.

Waiting on the Food Store decision wouldn't make sense to me for a number of reasons. It's worth remembering how that planning process will work in practice, and also the way the club have got their plans structured in that area at present. The June 4th meeting will merely give a decision from SSDC's Area South Committee. It will not grant full planning permission. Because certain aspects of the club's application result in a potential conflict of interest for the Council, if the Area South Committee give it the nod it must also be passed by the SSDC Regulation Committee. Even then, if both SSDC committees approve it, then the Government's National Planning Casework Unit must take on the case, because of the size of the food store, and the lack of replacement sports pitches in the application.

All of this will take time - and that time will extend if the club fail to provide a watertight application at any stage. During this period, it appears that the club do not plan to submit any of the associated stadium developments that they have on their wish list - presumably they are waiting to see how much money is left in the pot at the end of the Food Store application process. Either way, any new Copse Road stands, supporters bars or new training pitches will need brand new applications, and they will have to go through the same planning scrutiny, costings and construction that the Food Store has gone through. It is then and only then when the doors open to any new bars, or any new turnstiles that new organic revenue starts to come into the club, and the profit from that can then be passed on to the first team manager's playing budget. That's the plan anyway.

In short, nothing that takes place on June 4th will affect Gary Johnson's 2014-15 playing budget. Gary's budget will be determined by Season Ticket sales, replica shirt sales, tea bar sales and how quickly the Yeovil Town board feel the club can push for a return to the Championship division. If the Food Store plans do ever reach fruition, then it's more likely to be 2016, 2017 or 2018 before any effect of 'new' revenue coming into the club reaches the first team manager's kitty.

Last night, Gary appeared on BBC Points West and again the nature of what he was saying was made even more explicit. When both Emma Britton and Points West have directly asked him if he would be at Huish Park next season, and he has purposefully sidestepped that question in the way he has answered it, it is reasonable to assume that one of the outcomes may be that he chooses to resign his position as manager.

Clearly given Gary's association with the club, and the huge success that he's had as Glovers manager across two spells, he is not going to make that decision lightly. To understand his situation though, we have to understand his circumstances. Gary is currently 58 years old. He therefore probably has two big career choices - he can either become a Dario Gradi style figurehead at Yeovil Town FC, and prepare to spend his remaining years in football as that sort of mainstay ... or he can go and have one last crack at getting another team some silverware. Or he can merge both ambitions by doing the same with Yeovil Town.

My instincts are that it is a mix of the two, but that he is not prepared to just have the club sitting in a League One comfort zone, bringing in 22 trialists every summer, and getting through 17 short term loans as we try to stave off relegation. That sort of a challenge might feel good for Glovers fans, management and players in the Championship whilst we're travelling to Derby, Blackburn and Brighton, but as we all know from our experiences between 2008 and 2011 it is less fun when that's your limitations in third tier football. I think the message is that Gary wants to see some proof that the club are prepared to be a 'bigger' club in 2014 in League One, than they were when he rejoined us back in January 2012. Top half, and trying to sneak into the play-offs, rather than bottom half, and worrying about the relegation slots.

The conundrum that gives the Board is whether they feel that they are able to match that ambition. Does the club have increased sustainable income as part of the legacy of being in the Championship? Is it willing to adopt more of a 'speculate to accumulate' direction than it's been willing to adopt under it's current ownership? Or will it adopt a 'safety first' approach and call Gary's bluff, whilst knowing that it may leave them looking for a new manager?

Then in the long term, how confident (and taking away any spin and any external bravado) is the club that their Food Store plans will bring in additional revenue, how much do they believe that will be in permanent organic terms (i.e. not just the initial windfall), and when will they deliver that by? If they are not confident, then why is there no Plan B? I've no idea if Gary has asked that sort of question, but it wouldn't surprise me if he has. He has at times spoken about the club needing 'help' - sometimes explicitly mentioning the Council, but on other occasions leaving it as an open-ended ambiguous statement that he believes the club needs 'help' - as if he doesn't care where it comes from, but that he recognises that there has to be some movement from somewhere. He will not want to be begging to Sherborne School for a pitch to train on for the rest of his years as a manager.

Unfortunately, the club's own communications in recent months have given a clear prediction of hard times if their Food Store plans fail or are significantly delayed in June. Gary is aware of this doom'n'gloom forecast because he's been quizzed about it during his press conferences. In the club's own words, if these plans fail, they predict "the financial viability and the progress of the Football Club would be at serious risk ... the site and stadium would be left undeveloped, which would lead to a Yeovil Ski Slope situation at Huish Park" and also say that "failure to succeed with this current planning application ... will consign the club to play in the lower leagues and possibly return to Non-League football".

There's no doubt that this doom'n'gloom message is at odds with the message that they will need to deliver to Gary Johnson. It may be that deliberately 'negative' message was being aimed at SSDC as a form of pressurisation over the application, but inevitably that same message gets delivered out to everyone else from the first team manager through to the person buying a 2014-15 season ticket. It was an odd and surprising series of messages to put out to the wide blue world when we were still playing at the highest level that the club has ever achieved in its history (albeit one that we have since relinquished).

Talking of which, on an on-the-field note, I wanted to add how proud I was of the players and the 471 supporters that travelled to Brighton and Hove Albion last Friday night. Considering it was the night that we were finally relegated, I thought they did us proud. Up in Lancashire, Blackpool fans decided they'd had enough with their plight by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch, whilst at Birmingham City, captain Paul Robinson chose to use the media to verbally berate his club's loan players en masse as they slid into the relegation zone, claiming that none of them cared about the plight of the club - so much for team spirit!

I know sometimes different circumstances in other clubs do mean that supporters or players do have the right to protest or demonstrate against things happening around their club that they believe to be unjust. However, in terms of our own players and management, it would be hard to turn on them in the circumstances, just because our club hasn't quite got the resources - currently - to sustain a position in the Championship. They've tried their hardest - even including that Brighton match - and that's all we ask for. As such, it was good in that darkest moment to see the 471 spectators standing up and applauding the players, whilst they also showed their appreciation by throwing their shirts into the away end.

There may have been certain decisions or situations that may have been handled better during the 2013-14 season, but overall the 18 players that we've finished the season with have deserved our thanks for what they tried to achieve, and how close they came to doing so. It would be nice for us to return there again one day - but I think that's the whole point of what Gary has been pushing for in the last few days.

would Gary to stay, but wouldn't be surprised if he walked. Hopefully we can do well in league one, would love mcallister, Webster, Dawson, foley, Moore too stay .

If Gary goes in summer who would you like as manager?
29/04/2014 18:46:45

camberwick green said ...

GJ is always keen to drive whatever club he is managing forward. His return brought back the ambition which was so.painfully absent following the departure of RS. He has chosen his words carefully but I get the impression that the response he got from the board may have been underwhelming. NH is in his 80s and JF is no spring chicken. Do they have the drive and energy to pursue anything much more than a "survive as long as possible" policy? I fear that GJ will opt to join a more ambitious outfit and that the board will take the easy (and cheap) option by seeking to re-appoint Skivo having served his apprenticeship. Really hope I'm wrong.
29/04/2014 18:59:05

Camelgreen said ...

Why would GJ stay at a club where the chairman has been spouting nothing but gloom and doom for months now, if the application does go through, Mr Fry says he has a five year plan, would GJ stick around that long waiting for a budget increase I think not. If he does decide to go and like most fans I hope not, please Mr Fry don't take the cheap option again. One thing I am a bit perplexed about is how come we have just heard that the player budget has been £2 million, when we keep being told it was £1 million?? One thing I wish for is that the club would be more transparent, letting the people who put there hard earned cash into the club year in year out have some idea of what goes on financially at the club, I have only just heard that we sold Kevin Amankwaah for £250,000!!
29/04/2014 20:54:55

Brizzol Glover said ...

Gary has the drive, ambition and contacts to take this club forward. He's done wonders in the past and there's no reason that given the chance and resources he can do it again.
So John and Norman, do you really want the same or are you prepared to watch all the progress of the last decade go down the pan?
Does the average fan want to pay an inflated £25 next season to watch Skivo struggle with a bunch new players?
The choice is yours...Will it be progression or regression for your beloved Yeovil?
29/04/2014 21:12:38

cpl said ...

I can't see that the club has the ambition to keep Gary in situ and this situation won't change whilst Mr Fry is at the helm. As a club YTFC should have been thinking bigger years ago and, whilst they are not in debt like many other clubs, it's the lack of speculation and effort in obtaining other revenue streams that is going to prevent the club from progressing. It seems to me that the store is now a side issue that is itself leaching funds from the club. There are too many immovable obstacles for that to be a success and, even if it does go ahead, it will be a one off limited financial gain that will be swallowed up in no time at all.
29/04/2014 23:16:59

Martin said ...

Camelgreen - we haven't just been told the budget is £2 million, it has been out there for quite a while, certainly not long after the beginning of this season.
29/04/2014 23:53:08

Gary Smith said ...

All the board needs to do is to look at the manager's achievements; if ever anyone deserved to be backed, it's GJ...
30/04/2014 01:27:39

AroundtheworldwithYeovil said ...

A well written article - where do you get the time Martin?

Sadly but understandably I fear GJ will walk - wouldn't you?

The planning application has been a total embarrassment from beginning to end and culminated in desperate lies at the latest stage. Of course it will fail and I cannot understand why the club does not do proper due diligence on those with whom it gets into bed.

There has been no serious long term strategy - GJ knows this and the Boards only kudo is not sinking the club financially but at the cost of giving the training pitches away for......................nothing it now appears.

GJ left in 2005 because of the club' slack of ambition and the situation is worse now.

I fear he will walk - I fear Skivo will be appointed with comments of 'now much more experienced etc' - and I fear the results will be the same.

I predict GJ will find a position somewhere and nothing will change at YTFC until the owners pass have zero plans or interest in selling which is of course their right. Just as it is the fan's right to vote with their feet if they don't like the results of the ownership.

All very sad and for the second time I fear we will lose a good Manager - GJ may be opinionated at times but he is not stupid. He knows JF's strengths and weaknesses and can smell bullshit a mike away.

In 2012 GJ and YTFC both needed each other - today GJ does not need YTFC and no one can accuse him of disloyalty if he walks.

He has more than delivered and overachieved in the most challenging circumstances.
30/04/2014 05:23:14

AroundtheworldwithYeovil said ...

As a postscript if I was Skivo I would move on with GJ as his number 2 (cue Nathon Jones to step forward?) but I suspect he would want go prove himself again and have another go at leading Yeovil?
30/04/2014 05:28:07

PaulT said ...

Looking forward to 20+ wins next year and competing at the top end of League 1.
The foodstore appears to be offering a baloon payment sometime in the future of an unknown amount. Bigger Yeovil needs more income every week so what will make more of us spend more money and time at Huish Park?
Should the club just buy The Arrow!
30/04/2014 09:37:52

Em said ...

Not looking good for our club. We really need money ploughed into Yeovil. GJ will walk away.
30/04/2014 10:16:41

Northbank green said ...

GJ has proved he can manage the team and he wants the team/club to be bigger,well so do the fans, whilst i think this last season has been fantastic and a great achievement for the team/club and manager I think it has been long overdue ,I think back to our previous trip to the playoff final versus Blackpool I and others really thought we would kick on from there , we had sold to players to Notts forest there must have been some money from the what was a successful season but did we see any investment no we didn't move forward one little bit in fact we went backwards crowds fell etc etc.Mr Fry and Hayward I know we are a(little club)fed up with hearing that one and I don't want to see us get into debt, But it has on more than one occasion over the last ten years been shown that when we do well our crowds grow to a level where we could and should be able to grow and maintain the overall success,but time and time again the board have not put their hands into their own pockets and took the lead or shown any vision,if the board are not carefull i can see us losing our manager leading again to a period of struggling both on the pitch and off remember the buckets asking for our pounds I don't want to see that again and the supporters don't deserve that shadow over the club , so stop saying the future of the club depends on this supermarket scheme and tell us how we are going to go forward and maybe if permission is granted how the supermarket might in some way be part of our future success not the be and end all.
30/04/2014 11:10:43

Cruncher said ...

GJ when he came back was able to dictate on issues to an extent and that is what made the difference. He was able to do so because JF and NH needed a rescuer. It worries me that JF and NH can only be less stubborn when faced with no choice, otherwise every strategy seems to be about prolonging them in place above anything else.

The smallness of the club has been their own saving grace and that's why they don't want to change that. We've had Sladegate/Blue Sky/land split/ mad development plan - someone in the Boardroom needs the gumption to bang the table and say new direction is needed.

At this time, the club with GJ still here provides a good base for the right type of new owner. JF and NH should honourably enable that process instead of the club being there primarily for their hobby.
30/04/2014 11:30:14

GloverGreen said ...

I agree with the above comments, except for the air of inevitability put forward for Mr Johnson's departure. He still has a year of contract left and lets face it, he is and will be the best manager we could ever have. He (and the rest of teh coaching staff) clearly have the ambition, it is the board which do not.

The issue with 'little old yeovil' is the 'little old direction' which is lacking. As per a previous comment, it is run like a hobby, we have moved on since the non-league days,a nd believe it or not we have been to the second tier of English football, not through luck, but because we are good enough. Therefore off the pitch needs to catch up with on the pitch. The only way this can occur is if the Board get out of the dreamland of superstore holy grail which will provide short term benefit. People support a club for ambition and achievement, surely us as the fans can make this clear to the board, as surely it is them who can change it (or can change?) as such its a new board not manager we want.

We shouldn't accept obscurity and mediocrity as a norm for a little team. Little or not we are currently the 44th best team in England (that is in the top half by the way), but clearly budget and ambition dont match that.

Why do we never seem to make real profit on players, or know how much is even made - Upson for example, great player, clearly a bargain for millwall. It is certainly not reinvested!

Question the board more and support Gary's plight not accept his departure (which is far from confirmed).
30/04/2014 12:17:53

Em said ...

Mr Fry need to write a few cheques. Who could blame GJ for leaving when the board, give him the smallest budget league two size and one of the lowest of that league. Come on john fry get your cheque book out.
30/04/2014 12:29:16

Derek said ...

We will be getting £2.3m as a parachute payment, so our playing budget could easily be maintained for a couple of seasons.
30/04/2014 12:56:35

JC said ...

what we seem to forget is how much we have achieved, realistically did anyone think that we could make the Championship back in our league 2 days? I for one did not, we all say that GJ has over-achieved at a club that has been punching well above it's weight...think about our dear old friends down in Weymouth and think how much it would cost them in ££'s to get to the Conference at the very least? what local investment would there be to financially back it and with the interests of the club at their own heart and all to be done in a astute risk free manner? The same could be said for YTFC...who can financially take this club further than where we have already been?
30/04/2014 16:59:14

Green Commuter said ...

Badger, as usual a well constructed and balanced piece of analysis that well articulates the current position of the club. It seems to be that the owners appear 'caught in headlights'...not knowing what to do for the best. Whether that is best for the club or best for them in not yet apparent.

I think that GJ has rightfully thrown down the gauntlet; for too long everything has been shrouded in mystery, far too opaque, and now I think the proposition is 'Back me or lose me'. Thus GJ has removed any hiding place for the owners; the planning outcome is too long-term to determine our short-term future. That can only be determined by some rather immediate decisions that will have financial implications and require the owners to consider fresh avenues.

Do they have the desire or appetite...time will tell...but I feel that GJ will make sure that we find out sooner rather than later. If he remains at Yeovil then he will need to start to rebuild, if he goes elsewhere then he will still want the summer to rebuild his new club's team.

Interesting times!
30/04/2014 18:25:12

SheFellOver said ...

I think I'm right in saying we are in debt to NH. No different to what Chelsea owe their Russian, though he can definitely afford it - we don't know if Hayward can.

But here's a different take on this discussion. Is GJ really that good? Our top scorer left in a huff. Given he was the only reason we hung in there for so long, was that good management? Or Upson leaving, he scored 4, only one less than Hayter our second highest scorer.

I don't see it as clear cut that GJ is god. There have been some poor management decisions - Andy Williams, to name another.

And for a small club, how did we get through 37 players this season?
01/05/2014 20:59:18

judy said ...

Do we definetely get a parachute payment if so then that is a fair amount which hopefully will go to GJ for next season
01/05/2014 21:08:10

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